100 days

This is long but stick with me because I think I make some decent points. I know everyone has been anxiously awaiting another one of my political posts, anyway, so look no further. ;) My man Obama (I can call him that, right?) has been in office for 101 days! The first 100 days are supposed to set a precedent for the presidency, but obviously, it's still early. I still adore him, maybe even more than before, if that's possible.

Of course, I have been trying to sort through the stories about Obama's dog and Michelle's clothes this whole time to find some actual Obama news. The media has been programmed to report on things like that, though, because our culture of quick, bite-sized information is the way America has been programmed to interact with the world. Hey, it's more fun and easier than paying attention or holding ourselves accountable for anything, right? Obama even wants to fight that! I wish him well, but we may be too far gone in that arena (*enter Twitter*). It's a virus with no vaccine (a mental swine flu, if you will).

Anyway, I think Obama's been doing a pretty good job, all things considered. Let's see...he started the process of closing Guantanamo Bay and ended torture, drafted new policies for the housing and credit markets as well as Wall Street, laid out principles for places like AIG and the auto industry, overhauled foreign policy, passed a huge stimulus package with tax cuts for the middle class through Congress, lifted the ban on stem cell research, signed the largest conservation effort in 15 years, made big strides in women's rights and the environment, called for a historic commitment to science (things like "facts" and "research," remember those?), fought off pirates...and still had time for dinner, I assume. Meanwhile, republicans in Congress (and around the U.S.) pouted, refused to cooperate, and avoided coming up with any actual solutions themselves.

Speaking of republicans, I would be amiss if I did not mention my favorite, George W. Bush. I looked up his first 100 days, too, just out of curiosity. First of all, remember that whole "hanging chad" debacle in Florida? Oh yeah, I'm pretty sure Al Gore should have been our president, since he won the popular vote. Stupid electoral votes! You might not like Al Gore, but I am certain of 2 things: Gore would have helped the environment instead of hurt it and would not have gone to Iraq (some other place, sure, but it probably would have made more sense).

That's neither here nor there, though, so let's review Bush's first 100 days' highlights...he reversed environmental protection laws about things like reducing arsenic levels in our drinking water and withdrew us from the Kyoto treaty; ignored EPA suggestions and his campaign promises to reduce carbon emissions because it was "too expensive" (said he would implement then reneged 3 days later); asked for $5 billion increase in military spending; presented $1.96 trillion budget that increased funding for education (okay I'll give him this one, 1 point), reduced funding for research and energy conservation, eliminated funding for anti-drug programs in public housing, ended program for marine and coastal protections; blocked US funds to international family planning groups who provide abortion counseling and services in foreign countries; proposed record-breaking tax cuts; and apologized to Japan and China for some military mishaps. Oh yeah, and I find this to be especially interesting: he ordered military strikes on radar stations near Baghdad!? What? Further proof that Bush was gunning for Iraq before 9/11, in case you still weren't convinced.

Funny, those first 100 days set a precedent, indeed. It definitely tells you what his priorities were, even from day one. Although, to Bush's credit and of course, detriment, he simply did not have as many clear-cut, urgent things to do and to fix when he entered office. Well, besides restoring the "honor" that Clinton destroyed and the whole "unifier not divider" thing, which I believe formed the basis of his first campaign. Ha, excellent work there. Clearly, I should have started disliking Bush way before the whole Iraq thing. Maybe even 100 days is enough of a sampling to explain why he has been such a thorn in my side. Downplaying the environment and inflating the military (especially during peace time) will never get my support.

I only take comfort and pride in the fact that I never voted for Bush, but I can't seem to forget about all the damage left in the wake of his administration. Well, no one can, at this point. I will admit that not all of this is his fault, yes, but he (and by "he" I mean Bush and his administration/Congress) did have a pretty major role in plenty of it. A culture of lax regulation and responsibility has led us to this breaking point, and cultivating that culture, as the Bush administration did, is no small fault. Let's just hope that Obama's first 100 days truly is an indicator of better things to come.

Dance fever

Only six weeks until the recital and only five more classes to finish my dance! Yikes. I'm hoping I can teach the rest of it by next week. Oh I cringe just writing that. If I can at least teach it by then, though, we can spend the rest of our time cleaning it up. We're behind where I thought we would be by now, but the rest is easier. I'm finishing it with more walking and ripples to cut back on motions and to take up time. It should still be pretty cool once it comes together. At least, it looks that way in my head. I'm still surprised at some of the things that they think are difficult, but I'm trying to understand. Maybe I'll adjust something.

I went to the adult hip hop class tonight, which is so much fun! We're putting together a little dance to an old school Destiny's Child song called "Bugga Boo." Today we added one of my favorite hand gestures, "the phone" (not to be confused with my other favorite, "the finger"...okay, I don't actually use that one). There's a part in the song that says "You don't have to call as much as you do," and that's where the teacher put in the phone thing, twice! For real.

There's a chance that I'll make up the recital dance for the teachers and one of the adult dancers because the owner is pretty overwhelmed right now, but I haven't really volunteered yet. I would love to just make something up, no holds barred, and I could with the other two teachers...except that the other dancer from the adult class is pretty new to the whole thing. Once again, I would have to hold back a little. It's sort of frustrating because I would otherwise actually be able to create a dance that I would not be forced to simplify in some way.

Ha, maybe I'll do a solo...um, no. I don't think I will ever be able to do that. When I'm dancing with at least a couple other people, I can pretend that everyone is watching them the whole time. Wait a minute, what am I even doing on a stage, ever? I don't even like being looked at as I casually walk down the street or whatever. Well, go figure.

P.S. A new study finds that certain species of parrot and even one species of elephant can keep time and move with the music. Scientists recently proposed that vocal mimicry is the key to this ability. For both mimicry and dance, you're listening to a sound and constantly monitoring both your output (the vocal sounds you make or the tapping of your foot) and the sound coming in through your ears. The data suggests that some of the brain mechanisms needed for human dance originally evolved to allow us to imitate sound...I'm a bit confused, though, because it did not explain why some people with the ability to talk could not hear or move to a beat if their lives depended on it. :-/

Spring has sprung

The weather has been beautiful lately and it might finally be safe to say that it's springtime. I just brought some of my Spring clothes and shoes up from basement storage and I'm planning on replacing those things with sweaters and boots. I don't have a ton of clothes, but I do have a small closet. I've been waiting for the right time to update it. I should probably go through some of that stuff and donate it, since I haven't really done that in a while.

The only bad thing about Spring is...well, there are a few, but the worst thing about it is all the bugs. I saw one in my house the other day, but I didn't do anything about it. It was the first one I've seen here ever, so it threw me off guard. Also, when I came home the other night, there were probably 10 june bugs scattered on the porch and a couple on the outside door frame. 10! I'm not kidding. I attempted to come in through the back door, bug-free because the porch light was off, but the lock was stuck. I eventually made it in the front door, but it took some courage. Flying june bugs are especially terrifying! Now that I don't have a roommate to kill bugs for me, I should invest in some bug spray. Maybe they can pick up the bug carcasses for old times' sake, because Lord knows I'm not doing that. I'm not sure which is worse--alive bugs in my house that I can't find or dead bugs that I can.

I also forgot about what Spring does to my hair. I usually give up on keeping it straight after a month or so of fighting the humidity. I'm not quite ready for that yet, though. I might experiment with my naturally wavy/curly hair for a day or two per week, but straight hair is so much easier to control. Well, at least until this time of year. Boo.

I'm not really complaining, though. I'm glad this weather is finally here to stay, at least for a few weeks. I'll trade bugs and humidity for bitter cold any day...um, as long as the bugs stay far away from me. :)

I still love kids

Phew, I am exhausted, yet I'm not quite ready for bed. Besides, I'm watching Good Will Hunting, and I think that I love this movie. I thought I had seen it before, but I don't remember most of this. Where the hell have I been?! Robin Williams is not even annoying.

Earlier tonight I helped babysit kids at dancing school for a "parents' night out." It was kind of crazy, as expected, but not as out of hand as it could have been. We danced, played games, did crafts, jump rope, face painting, movies, dinner...a lot, in 4 hours.

I choreographed a dance to that "Lip Gloss" song in an hour, right before I left to babysit. It's not my favorite song, but it was the perfect choice for this group. My silly and playful sides totally come out in my choreography, and it went over really well. Hanging around kids also brings out that side, and I forgot about the random hugs and all that comes with that (from them). Kids are also a great ego boost.

There were only a few boys and they were under 6 years old, but I think 4 out of 6 of them cried at least once! None of the girls did. The boys cried about things like losing a game or having to sit down. Oh, and one little boy cried when his belt broke, but I came to the rescue with some tape. I spent five years as a camp counselor for 7 or 8 year old girls, one year for 8 year old boys, and I swear there was more crying in that one year the other five combined. It cracks me up because these little boys are supposed to grow up to be "tough" men. It's a shame that society teaches them to suppress that sensitive side, actually.

Tonight reminded me that I do seem to have a way with children, but I still can't really pinpoint why. (Another example: My most recent random child greeting came from the little boy two houses down, whom I have never met or really seen. As I left my house, he shouted "hello" and waved.) I guess, at a base level, it's a combination of patience and respect for them. Actually, in my opinion, little kids are more worthy of respect than some adults. Kids are generally more authentic to me. They're not as judgmental, malicious, and jaded as adults, either. They could teach us a thing or two. Plus, we were all kids once, and sometimes adults forget what that means. It's nice to be reminded of that sometimes.

Okay, the movie is over, which means it's time for bed. There are many good quotes in there, but I guess I'll end with just a few of them:
"Sean: Do you have a soul mate?
Will: Define that.
Sean: Someone you can relate to, someone who opens things up for you."

"Sean: You're not perfect sport, and let me save you the suspense, this girl you've met she's not perfect either. But the question is whether or not you're perfect for each other."

"Will: Why shouldn't I work for the N.S.A.? That's a tough one, but I'll give it a shot. Say I'm working at N.S.A. Somebody puts a code on my desk, something nobody else can break. So I take a shot at it and maybe I break it. And I'm real happy with myself, 'cause I did my job well. But maybe that code was the location of some rebel army in North Africa or the Middle East. Once they have that location, they bomb the village where the rebels were hiding and fifteen hundred people I never had a problem with get killed....So what do I think? I'm holdin' out for somethin' better. Why not just shoot my buddy, take his job and give it to his sworn enemy, hike up gas prices, bomb a village, club a baby seal, hit the hash pipe and join the National Guard? I could be elected president."

Urban Dictionary

I was thinking of writing something about Earth Day, but it turns out I'm really tired. This "urban dictionary" thing requires no thinking and it's fun:

Rules:
--Go to urbandictionary.com and type in your answers to the following questions.
--Post the first definition it gives you.
--Tag at least 10 people

1. Your name?
Julie: Sweet and downy haired girl, changable, and often misunderstood and complex. A fearful creature as well as highly loyal. She will rule your affection and once you have hers it will be forever. (Hehe :-D)

2.Your age?
24: The Jack Bauer Power Hour. The most entertainment you can stuff into a single day. Full of twists, turns, violence, and Elisha Cuthbert.

3.One of your friends?
Joel (this won most interesting friend definition): Refers to a cool, intellectual, popular, well-liked, needed, or otherwise important person. A person that's more important than regular people. Arrised from the word "yo" which resembles the word "joel," used to call important people who have been predefined as a joel.
(I would almost suspect that he wrote that, except for the use of the word "arrised.") ;)

4.What you should be doing?
Cleaning: The act of shoving everything in a closet and calling it decent.
(Exactly.)

5.Fav color?
Blue: The hue of the portion of the visible spectrum lying between green and indigo, evoked in a human observer by radiant energy with wavelengths of approximately 420 to 490 nanometers.

6.Birthplace?
St. Louis: While not technically the largest city in Missouri (that honor belongs to Kansas City, due to some creative annexing and stupidity on St. Louis' part), the entire area's a lot bigger and more influential. Home to Budweiser, the St. Louis Cardinals and the Gateway Arch, this city of roughly 2.8 million people also has some good music, good food and weird customs. It's pretty much Boston-on-the-Mississippi: mostly Catholic, very insular, loves baseball a little too much, has an inferiority complex (here it's with Chicago) that we take out through baseball. It's got a lot of bad points, too: we live too much in the past, we've deluded ourselves into thinking we're either still really important or just a "big small town", and we can't support a football team worth a damn. Overall, it's a very Midwestern city: misunderstood and a little weird.

7. Month of your birthday? August: The idea of perfection. The 8th Month of the year in certain European and Asian cultures signifies greatness in achieving perfection, or something close to it.
(naturally)

8.Last person you talked to?
Beth: gem like, shim-shimmering like a precious stone, awe-inspiring and captivating

9.Where do you live?
NoCo: NOrth COunty. In this case, North County St. Louis, Missouri. Including, but not limited to, the areas of Florissant, Hazelwood, Blackjack, Spanish Lake, St. Ann, Overland, Berkley, Woodson Terrace, Bridgeton, and Unincorporated St. Louis County. Home of the Monster Truck "Bigfoot," St. Louis International Airport, University of Missouri St. Louis, BubbleHead Road, and Nelly's mom from what I hear. Known for being kind of a rough area in parts, the stories are mainly hearsay.

10.Favorite sport?
Softball: 10 Reasons to Date a Softball Player-10. we always use r hips for power 9. we can handle the heat 8. when it gets hard we always pull through 7. we always make sure we touch ever base carefully before scoring 6. we can be in 9 different positions for 75 mins 5. well go into exta innings if needed 4. were not afraid to get dirty 3. well go to any length to score 2. we dont mind playing with others 1. we always fight back if were behind in the game

11. Last name?
Wiese: Okay I had to adapt this one to "weezy": To become kool...you add "weezy" to your name......this defines your total koolness....if you don't have it you r not kool!!

Theology and twitter: an unlikely pair?

Every third Wednesday of the month, since January, I have been attending "Theology At The Bottleworks." It's a group discussion on various topics, ranging from technology to euthanasia, hosted by a non-denominational Christian church (from South City) at Schlafly. There are always at least 40 people there, but not all of them are associated with the church. I see it as more of a philosophical than theological debate, although they usually talk about God for at least a few minutes. I never speak up, but I like listening to the various points of view and reevaluating my opinions.

I'm noticing a trend, though. See, I become rather bored, irritated, or both whenever someone talks about religion. I suppose God becomes the natural role model for the ethical scenarios, but it seems like including Him/Her/It is too subjective for a proper debate. In other words, I guess this means I am currently agnostic. I like to believe in a higher power, but I don't think I have to commit myself to a specific set of man-made rules to confirm it. I just don't think it matters all that much, and I see plenty of similarities in the different religions. No one can fully prove or disprove the existence of God in the first place, so who am I to choose sides and point fingers? Who is anyone? If you consider the amount of destruction that has been done in the "name of God" and the intolerance that it often breeds, it seems like so many people are missing the point.

I owe sufficient credit to the terrorists as well as the Bush administration for sparking these revelations, actually. Religion can warp someone's perspective and cloud his or her judgment, to the point where "good" and "bad" are almost indistinguishable. God and religion are not necessary components of a good person, anyway. In fact, sometimes those things hurt more than help. I respect that some people want or need religion to guide them, but I also respect that some people don't. Can't we all just get along? Maybe I just need a break from the almost theocratic rule of the recent past, at least enough time for that disdain to subside.

I digress. This month's topic was "The Impact of Technology on the American Way of Life." We talked about the iphone and twitter and blah blah blah. Technology good, abusing that power bad. Overall, the discussion would have been too superficial and agreeable for my taste this time, but my tastes were persuaded by delicious 4-year anniversary cake, pita bread with hummus, and beer. :)

By the way, in my humble opinion, twitter is pretty much the most self-centered, irrelevant thing on the internet. Okay, one could argue that having a blog is self-centered, but I like to think that someone is getting something of substance out of it, occasionally. (I would be writing this stuff somewhere else, anyway.) This is another outlet of expression for me. Twitter just seems so excessive. Who wants to know what I am doing or thinking at all times, and what would compel me to tell them? The answer is that they don't want to know; or, if they did, I would need a restraining order and they would need some hobbies and friends. Too harsh? You be the judge.

Well, I think it's pretty obvious that I needed to get that off my chest. Until next time...

The real world: St. Louis

Last Saturday marked the one year anniversary of the break-in. Yes, it's only been a year, but it feels like at least two. Lord knows enough has happened since then to warrant two years. That was the first event that put me on the fast track to true adulthood, I think, and it just snowballed after that. Sure, up until then I was living on my own. I also had a real job, a new car...whatever. I was still pretty sheltered. If I had to sum up my year since then in one word, that word would have to be "unbelievable." I had a long streak of ridiculously bad luck, some surprising good luck, and not much in between. Not only did I survive, in some ways I triumphed. I define my success differently now, and I am better off this way.

This reminds me of the time I helped write a farewell to my grade school with the girls in my 8th grade class. One of the girls wanted to say something about graduating and going on to the "real world," and I thought that was a little dramatic. High school didn't exactly seem like the real world, and I wasn't even sure college would qualify. As it turns out, the world doesn't become truly real until it basically crashes down around you. After that, you start building your own reality.

Princess Party

I'm helping host a "princess party" at the dancing school tomorrow, which is a great excuse to download old Disney music. I'm making one soundtrack for the dancing/limbo/musical chairs portion of the party and another for the eating cake/coloring portion of the party. I have stuff from almost all the major Disney princess movies, plus Anastasia and Enchanted! Anastasia music is so hard to find, but it's so good ("Journey to the Past," "Once Upon A December"). The music from the musical version of "Cinderella" is also good ("In My Own Little Corner," "Ten Minutes Ago," "A Lovely Night"). Sadly, both are often forgotten, I think, in the sea of princess music.

The Little Mermaid and Aladdin were my two favorite Disney movies as a kid and they still stand the test of time. In fact, all of the princess movies (especially Beauty and the Beast and Pocahontas, in my book) are classics of a bygone Disney era. Disney just doesn't do "happily ever after" and princesses anymore. They barely even let the characters sing! I guess they're appealing to a broader audience that way, but it just seems like something is missing. I used to be their target audience, a little girl playing dress-up and Barbies (well, and Play-doh and cars), and now I just feel a little neglected and abandoned by this relatively new Disney trend.

I'm too old for it, anyway, but it is fun to get back into it for a day. At least Enchanted understands. It's sort of a fairy tale for grown-ups. I forgot how great this song is, too, lyrics and all:

Lyrics | Jon Mclaughlin lyrics - So Close lyrics

Awww.

This is insane

Wow, check this out. I didn't know half that stuff was possible. Plus, it's 7:30 minutes long. That's no joke.

My life in terms of dance

Part of my assignment as a new dance teacher is to write an autobiography about my credentials. The owner is going to hang it in the lobby. Great, again with the spotlight and the public boasting. I am trying to reassure the parents that are sending their kids there, though, so I should probably include some hip hop and choreography accomplishments. I'm sort of embarrassed to even mention my hobbies to new people because I've noticed that it's a little awkward for me and sometimes a little intimidating for them, I guess? If I get into it at all, I usually leave out a hobby or two. (I've found many people work and...uh, watch tv and movies? Go out on occasion? I'm not sure, it's hard to delve into those topics. Everyone has fun stuff that they like to do occasionally, though. I'm just more regimented.)

I left out some awards or experience that seemed insignificant because I am uncomfortable enough with the current level of bragging. I should also point out that any success I've had in choreography has come as a surprise, but it seems I have a knack for it. I mean, it's fun, but I'm not sure what's special about it. I guess I'm almost getting used to talking about myself, though, with the whole resume, interview and work introduction thing, so I decided to post some of my dance experience here. It does make me feel pretty exposed and egotistical, though. :-/ It's just that dance has been a big part of my life for about 15 years, so I thought you might want a better understanding of what that means, exactly. Besides, you've probably known me for a while and didn't know some of this stuff. So (*deep breath*) without further ado:

"Dance and working with children are among my favorite things in the world, and I am thrilled that I am able to combine them both as a dance teacher. I started tumbling when I was 4 and transitioned into dancing school when I was 10. I took jazz, tap, ballet, hip hop, poms and baton classes until I joined dance team in high school at JFK. I became Captain and Lead Choreographer my first year. I choreographed several routines, including a competition dance that they used 2 years in a row and a hip hop routine for our dance coach, a former Rams cheerleader, that she used for Universal Dance Association (UDA) tryouts. (editor's note: eww, rereading this part is especially uncomfortable. Tone it down more than I have, remove it completely, or keep it because these people are supposed to have confidence in me? Help! Ms. Editor, Melissa? Honestly.) In college, I continued dancing and choreographing on dance team, but after graduation, I had trouble finding an adult dance class at my level.

Instead, I tried new, exotic forms of dance and artistic expression—belly dancing, flamenco, and taiko drumming. Belly dancing comes from Middle Eastern cultures. Flamenco is a Spanish style of dance that emphasizes fluid arms and percussive footwork. Taiko (“big drum”) is a Japanese style of ensemble percussion that combines drumming with jazz and martial arts-inspired movements, and I practice regularly with St. Louis Osuwa Taiko. We perform about once a month at various festivals in the Midwest, and our biggest event is the Japanese Festival at Missouri Botanical Garden. All of these styles are very different, but I think that they all add something unique to my choreography. I am glad to get back to the old familiar forms of dance, too.

I am also happy to be working with kids again. For 6 years, I was a day camp counselor at Tiemeyer Park in St. Ann. I developed activities for 7-9 year old girls and I loved that job. After graduation, though, I quit my summer job to pursue a full-time job in my field, graphic design. I still work as a graphic designer.

I am drawn to all forms of artistic expression, but dance is my greatest passion. I am honored to share my enthusiasm and experience with you and your children."

Before I go, I would like to share some fun, embarrassing facts/blackmail about my dance experience, as well:

1. When I was 4, I often performed tap and ballet routines for my parents on a "stage" (2x3' metal board) in the living room, wearing my cousin's recital costumes. It was mostly interpretive dance with lots of big, fluid arm motions in ballet. Go figure. Oh yeah, and I danced to the music on the record player.

2. My first public performance was a dance to Aladdin's "Never Had A Friend Like Me" at my school's talent show in 3rd grade. I danced with a few other girl scouts in tie-dye t-shirts, no less. We learned the routine at a "Girl Scout Out" event. That's how I roll. (Side note: I just realized that was the start of my design career, too, I guess. I designed the patch for that event. Weird.)

The Easter Bunny hides more than eggs

I say this every year, but I'll say it again: the Easter Bunny is just plain creepy. I don't remember being afraid of the costume as a little kid, but I do remember thinking it was a stupid idea. Everyone knew the Easter Bunny was a regular, slightly larger than normal white rabbit with magical powers, so what was the point of that silly costume? And why would I sit on his lap? It's not like he was going to ask what I wanted--bunnies weren't supposed to talk, even fake ones...A magical rabbit that opened doors with his ear and hid baskets seemed more feasible, somehow. My mom used to tell me that the regular rabbits around my house were his helpers and they reported to the Easter Bunny around Easter. (Pretty clever of my mom, even though I had to be outside for those rabbits to see me. I mean, I thought the mall Santas with fake beards were Santa's helpers, so the Easter Bunny could have had a similar entourage.)

I am finally onto Mr. Bunny, though. Ever wonder what he/she is really hiding? Holy crap!:




So beware. While you're out hunting for eggs, he/she just might be hunting for YOU!

Oh, and Happy Easter! :-P

Blurb

I'm officially going to visit Melissa in Baltimore for her book reading! Yay! It's exactly a month from today already. I just went to visit Sarah last weekend and I'm sending Mary a letter tomorrow. (Yes, a real, handwritten letter. She's becoming a nun and that's the only way to contact her!) Pretty cool. Those are all good friends that I've had since forever, it seems, (Melissa since kindergarten, Sarah since college, Mary since high school) and I'm so lucky to still have them around!

There's so much going on right now. It's pretty exciting, but also occasionally confusing. It occurs to me that timing is everything, and I'm cursing some circumstances right now. Grr. What can you do? I don't know, but I'm hoping it will kind of work itself out somehow. It usually does, eventually. Time has a tendency to cause and heal many wounds, doesn't it? *Sigh*

Hypocrites

Jon Stewart strikes again :)

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	M - Th 11p / 10c
Baracknophobia - Obey
thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Economic Crisis Political Humor

Have you ever been down with a female from the hood?

I think Mondays are shaping up to be be one of my favorite days of the week because of this dance class. I taught a portion of my dance today and it's a little harder than I expected it to be for them, but I think they will get it in time. It's just fast, I think. I'll tell you what, though--my incessant hand gestures come in quite handy when I'm making up choreography (so there). Dance is just like an exaggerated version of that, anyway.

The owner basically just observed the class today and she liked what I was doing. She's giving me a key to the studio next week and she already showed me where she keeps the money and all that. I am surprised at how quickly she is willing to give me all of this responsibility, though. Of course, she can absolutely trust me, but I don't know how she has determined that already.

Oh, and that dance video I posted in yesterday's blog? I suggested that song today, and the adult hip hop class is going to dance to it now, I think! My favorite part of the song: "What am I suppose to do? Get up and walk to a th-iz-ug and act like I'm innocent and cute? Nah, I’m a step like....Yeah (What it is, wit ya?) Have you ever been down wit a female from the hood?" It has a lot of potential. The music is just begging for sharp movements to go along with the accentuated beats. They have class on Thursday, which means that...well, I guess it means that I'm going to miss Thursday taiko occasionally.

Here is another awesome dance to that song. That is hip hop. I love the contrast and fusion of the sharp and fluid motions and the fact that they often play off of the words in the song. I think I easily relate to those aspects of hip hop because, actually, I am also a contrast and fusion of competing elements. I mean, for starters, the hip hop thing doesn't exactly fit with my admittedly "white bread" image, does it? This aspect of myself that has been hidden and nearly forgotten is reemerging, and I can't help but laugh. You think you know, but you have no idea...

Shocking

It's pretty hard to make a cd of hip hop songs for 8-12 year olds that doesn't involve sex or bad language of some kind. (I came across this new song, though. Ghetto fabulous. I really like the dance, too!!) Don't get me wrong, hip hop/r&b is among my favorite genres, but it's becoming less and less appropriate for kids. Whatever happened to metaphors, at least? Half of the songs on the cd so far are from the 90's, when things seemed a little more subtle. For example, R. Kelly did a song back in the day called "Ignition" that said things like "I'm bout to take my key and stick it in the ignition," (not going on the cd, though) and nowadays we get songs like "Birthday Sex," where they say things like, "Just need your body to make birthday sex, birthday sex (G-spot g-spot let me hit that g-spot g-spot girl)." I like both of those songs, to be honest, but "Birthday Sex" is severely lacking in creativity (um, the song...no comment on anyone's personal experience *blush*).

This kind of thing carries over into tv and commercials, too, obviously. Now, I actually think the Quizno's commercial I'm about to show you is hilarious, in a sick kind of way, but I was shocked to see the full version on TV. Have they no shame? (Fun fact: A periscope flashes for half a second in :06.) "Not doing that again. That burned?" "Put it in me?" Haha, wow. There's an edited version on TV now, but it's just not the same as the original:



I suppose, while I'm at it, I will leave you with a wise fortune from a recent fortune cookie, open to interpretation: "You will lose the small ones but win the big ones." Ha.

Well, now that I have gotten that out of my system, it's time to finish up that kiddie cd...

Word

I have read this George Carlin thing before, but I just got another email about it that reminded me how good it is. In case you haven't read it (or if you have, read it again):

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways but narrower viewpoints. We spend more but have less, we buy more but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge but less judgment, more experts yet more problems, more medicine but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.

We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life, not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things.

We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete...

Remember to spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever.

Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side.

Remember to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent.

Remember to say "I love you" to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you.

Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment, for someday that person will not be there again.

Give time to love, give time to speak! And give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

Quizzes are like Pringles

...You can't have just one! I can't remember what sparked this round of quizzes, but it's always a little hard for me to stop once I start them. It's an addiction!

You Are Mind

If you dream it, then you can do it. You are very mentally sharp and strong. You enjoy challenging yourself both at work and with studies. You love mastering difficult tasks. You thrive in new environments, even stressful ones. You are able to study everything objectively. You have a upbeat attitude, and won't be deterred easily. You are open minded and optimistic about the future.

Are You Mind, Body, or Spirit?

You Have A Type A- Personality

You are one of the most balanced people around Motivated and focused, you are good at getting what you want You rule at success, but success doesn't rule you. When it's playtime, you really know how to kick back Whether it's hanging out with friends or doing something you love! You live life to the fullest - incorporating the best of both worlds

Do You Have a Type A Personality?